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Cape Town - Montpellier coach Jake White has dismissed rumours he wants to lure top South African schools rugby players to France.
“As much as I enjoy working with South African players and understand their psyche, I was not instructed to recruit young players,” White told Netwerk24.
“We’re competing with the best rugby clubs in Europe and have to get the best players here. I’m not going to concern myself with 17-,18- and 20-year-olds.”
White’s comments come after a report earlier this week indicated that French rugby clubs have set their sights on signing 20 of South Africa’s top schoolboy rugby players.
According to Netwerk24, there are talent scouts for the French clubs at the current Craven Week taking place at Kearsney College in KwaZulu-Natal.
The contracts are reported to be between €3 500 and €4 000 (R55 500-R63 500) per month, while the French agents at the Craven Week are believed to be retired South African rugby players who played club rugby in France.
White, who coached the Springboks to World Cup glory in 2007, said he did not want the perception to exist that he was to stripping South Africa of young talent.
